Thank you for the responses, and I am tremendously curious as to the identity of some of the anonymous posters that seem to remember me and my family, but all in good time.
I have been out of Australia for most of the last 25 years, so I don't believe my personal information will be of interest or material value to the good senator or an inquiry. What I do hope is that my and others coming out openly, together with all the others, will help pave the way for more to openly tell their story. The church's policy of disconnection, threats, intimidation and terror to those that don't tow the party line must stop, the church must reform or be driven to extinction. Because of the way the church controls and manipulates information, it takes many people openly standing up and telling the truth, honestly, calmly and rationally telling what really goes on, despite personal discomfort or risk.
The inquiries of the late 60's reformed and improved the church, if only temporary, they are the only thing I know of that impacted the church so.
As this post is really about my father and parents, if I may suggest an area of research for those on the ground, especially in Melbourne, that I believe might bear fruit. The treatment of older, retired, senior Scientologists.
My father was popular and got attention and help from Melbourne Org only so long as he gave money. When he stopped donating, either because he was sick of them, or because he couldn't, he was discarded and ignored. No one would visit him. Scientology sends its volunteer ministers to disasters around the world, using them as media whores to gain some creditability, but does nothing to look after, care for, spend time with those old time scientologists who gave their lives and lifetimes accumulation of wealth to the church, without thanks.
There are also older staff that have been discarded, broken and in poor health.
There are children of older retired scientologists, no longer involved with the church or philosophy, irate and angry with their parents being manipulated to give all their money, mortgage or sell their homes for the church, leaving these elder people destitute, a burden on the state, or their children, despite having lived successful and productive lives.
When my father got older and his health began failing, my sister and I wanted him to come to the US with us; he refused, he loved Australia, it was his home. He received spectacular care from the shire of Werribee, senior care superior to anything but the best private care available in the US. Melbourne Org did nothing for him, no visits, no calls except for money or to come to an event. Flag, the same. Sydney too.
I don't blame the staff, they are struggling to survive, fulfill impossible quotas issued with psychotic randomness from an instable and unpredictable management. I don't blame the public, who are doing their best and really believe they are working to save the world and their family in the only way that matters.
I blame the culture of the organization, completely motivated by self interest, self gratification, self empowerment, a climate horrendously amplified over the last two decades by and under DM. Scientologists in good standing are afraid to talk freely, afraid to think freely, afraid to ask questions, because they are programmed, if not brainwashed into believing that they and their families and children will be denied eternity.
My next post will be more on target with Gunther's story, but several people responded above, reporting their memories of Gunther as a grump. I would like to put some context to this.
Whether true or misguided, my father believed with all his heart that Scientology was the best and only hope for the future of the world, his family, his children. He lived his life for almost 50 years in an exemplary form.
Every major event in Melbourne and Australia’s scientology history had his support or hand in some way. When the fire burned down Melbourne Org, my family was there, in the ashes, doing everything from salvaging materials through ironing, page by page PC folders that were fire and water damaged. Demonstrations in Canbera. When Scientology was banned in Victoria, my father sold his house in a recession, for a fraction of the value, moving to Adelaide to support the church there. The state of Victoria was Suppressive, it was his responsibility to disconnect, despite personal loss. His family of 4 living out of a small caravan in someone’s back yard, living in poverty, again for the church. He was unable to find work at a fair wage, but persisted. The only two memories I have from that time were as a small boy, following my father through Adelaide org as a government raid was under way, wondering at the people in suits ... and being bathed by my mother in a concrete tub in some back yard by the trailer surrounded by a tall fence.
Imagine how he felt with his 13 year old daughter, having been recruited into the Sea Org, living in Sydney without proper food, personal hygiene products or care, being assigned to the RPFs RPF at 13 years old, for months, later being told that it was all a mistake. Imagine his feeling at knowing his daughter wanted to leave, but the Sea Org refusing to let her go until he paid off her freeloader debt, shortly before 2, when she was shoved out the door.
Imagine how he felt, as a factory worker, working 7 days a week, double shifts wherever he could, night shift wherever possible because it paid a few extra dollars an hour. Imagine his pride and joy at having gotten his wife and daughter through OT V at the AO in Sydney. Imagine his wife of some 30 years dying of cancer months after completing her OT levels, and his being told that it was Mayo NOTS, and not to worry she would come back, but he better buy more auditing for his daughter so she too didn't die of cancer too.
Imagine having to re-do his own OT levels many times because of out tech in the church, quoting free service free fall. Imagine sacrificing your finances for hundreds of hours of Dianetic auditing past clear, where he just felt he got worse, being told by the church that it was his responsibility, he pulled it in.
Imagine going to Flag, being discarded when he wouldn't give more money for more services, having a stroke in his Flag hotel room, and being left, unattended and without care or medical attention for several days.
Could this make someone Grumpy?